Vacation in photos

It was our year for sunny Florida, and one of the best vacations we've ever had. Though it didn't start out that way.

My cold the week before got much, much worse during the two-stage ten-hour drive. First stop after we arrived was urgent care, where I finally got the Amoxicillin my body so desperately needed. Motivation enough to plow through the mucus and torso-wrenching coughing spells and have fun on purpose.

We chilled in the condo with cards and Legos and screens, went to church, bowled a rather competitive game, ate some yummy meals, shopped at the outlets, walked around Old Town St. Augustine, and wished the storms away.

Our big destination was the Kennedy Space Center, which was excitement from start to finish. We saw lots of rockets, the launch pads, the Saturn V complete with capsule and LEM, and the Atlantis shuttle. Which has actually touched outer space, y'all. I wish I could have touched it. Plus we saw a cool Imax movie and so many artifacts and info plaques along the way. The boys' favorite part was going into a mockup of the shuttle cockpit and fiddling with the bajillion switches and controls. Space science is at once fascinating and overwhelming. Someone actually figured all that stuff out!

Of course the other big deal was the beach. From the moment each day when we set foot on the sand to the moment we left, the boys were in the water. Giga, Poppop, Brandon and I took turns keeping a watchful eye, as by the end of the trip both boys ventured out far without fear. Boogie boarding was a solid hit, and occupied most of their time. That and belly laughing whenever the big waves caught their grownups by surprise. No playing in the sand, no shell collecting, not even bird chasing.

Just a couple of observations. The boys are now both big enough that I cannot safely take a high-dollar camera or phone where I would get really good photos. They immediately head out into chest-deep water and my five-two self just can't keep the equipment dry. Truly, truly a bummer because beach pictures are some of the greatest ever. Either need stilts or some sort of wet-dry camera situation.

And also, this beach y'all. Flat and wide and half the time we were out there, we were the only ones out there. Pretty special to step out amid God's amazingly beautiful work, and have it to yourself. Humbling and exhilarating.

Before I stop talking and start showing, this story must be shared and glory must be given to the Lord. On the first leg of our journey home, around 6:30 PM on I-95 and maybe 40 miles from our hotel, the pressure on one of our tires started dropping pretty quickly. We took the exit that immediately appeared, and right next to the ramp was a travel plaza with an air pump. Brandon was going to add some air, but when he got down close to the tire, heard a hiss and found a screw lodged in the rubber. Inside the travel plaza, he asked the clerk if there was any place around that might be able to help us. She named off a tire place at the next exit, five miles away and always open. We overfilled the tire to get us there, and quickly pulled into this outdoor repair shop. Brandon went in to ask for help, and they took us right away. In full view of the boys, yanked the tire off the car, took it off the rim, plugged it, put it back on the rim, filled it with air, checked for leaks, and bolted it back onto the car. Seventeen dollars and we were on our way again. What could have been a serious pain in the rear end, well, wasn't. God just happened to provide exactly what we needed as we needed it, making life easy where we didn't even know it might be a challenge. I give Him serious praise for that, and the opportunity to show the boys how He apparently gets a kick out of lavishing blessings on us.

All of it, the vacation from beginning to end, was a huge blessing. So much fun had, so many memories made.

Thank you, Giga and Poppop!